Mass campaign to plant 1.5 million trees from today
KARACHI: Sindh Environment and Alternate Energy Department will launch a mass campaign under ‘Mission Green Sindh’ to plant 1.5 million trees all over the province from May 30 to June 5.
This was stated by Environment and Alternate Energy Minister Shaikh Mohammad Afzal in an interview here Friday. He said that this campaign would also include sanitation drive to clean the cities, towns and villages to improve the environment.
“We wanted to start mission green Sindh in August or September last year, but it was delayed due to unprecedented floods. Now we will begin it from May 30 along with our campaign to create mass awareness about the importance of trees in our lives”, he added.
He pointed out that the increase of carbon dioxide is the major reason for global warming and trees can control this heating and can also clean the environment of CO2.
Afzal said that from this year, environment protection would be introduce as a subject in syllabus at primary, secondary, intermediary and universities level. Provincial Education Minister Pir Mazharul Haq has agreed to our request, he added. He said one question will be compulsory to be answered in the examination paper of environment from seven or eight questions.
Talking of alternate energy uses, he said the work on a project to run all pumping stations in Mirpurkhas on solar energy will begin this year at a cost of Rs 100 million. Similarly, pumping stations in other small towns and villages in Sindh will also be run on solar energy under another project, he added. We are also working on a project to generate 50 megawatts from solar thermal plant in northern part of Sindh including Sukkur and Ghotki areas where sunlight is available round the year, he opined.
The minister said that his department has sent two summaries for creation of renewable energy board in Sindh to promote and encourage use of this environment friendly natural energy resource.
Referring to devolution plan, he said that it will be in the interest of the province to have decision making and implementation in accordance to the needs.
“The major benefit of the devolution will be acquisition of Quaid’s Mausoleum to us. This will be the honour for us. He is the founder of Pakistan and we will add to its splendour give a grandeur look to his mausoleum in a magnificent style, he noted.
Responding to a question about traffic pollution, he said that transport department has agreed in principle to hand over issuance of no objection certificate regarding the emission of smoke to environment department. The modalities are being finalised in this regard.
He said “the only solution to traffic pollution is to convert all public transport on CNG. I invite all interested parties to run CNG buses and my department will provide them all possible facility and help, he vowed.”
To another question about industrial pollution, he said that notices have been issued to industries that are polluting environment.
More than 100 have been closed for non compliance of environment laws while dozens of cases are being pursued in Environment Tribunal. Over 200 industrial units have rectified their processes and adopted environment friendly production practices, he added.
Talking of the issue of polythene plastic shopping bags, the minister said that a bill to increase the weight of plastic shopping bag to 100 micron is ready to be tabled in Sindh Assembly. The plastic bags menace has created severe problems to environment.
He said the available plastic shopping bags are less than 30 microns and they are illegally manufactured. It is difficult to find out their place of production and therefore it is also difficult to stop them. Now, we have a bill, which will restrict the manufacture of light-weight plastic bags, he observed. app
Article link: Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan